One of the most enjoyable actions when moving into a new house is, I think, the putting up of ones pictures.

Suddenly they look new and interesting again.

Today, being Sunday, I decided to give myself a day away from the paint pot and to continue hanging my pictures.

These over the dining table all have a different story to tell.
Top left is certainly the oldest, by Frank Mc Kelvey, painted in the 1950’s, of a river scene in Antrim.My parents bought it around that time and left it to me when they died.

Top right is by Cork Artist Clare Cryan,is a painting of Cork’s City Hall. My
father bought it at an exhibition in the 1960’s and left it to me. It is a painting that has grown on my over the years.

Bottom left is an archichectural fantasy painted by Xavier Guitton from St. Herblain.
Waterford is twinned with St. Herblain in Brittany and Xavier and his wife stayed with us as part of the twinning in the early ninties. We fed them in the restaurant for the few days they stayed and they were extremely grateful.
Xavier sent me his painting as a “Thank You” shortly after they went back.
Now it has returned to France.

Middle bottom is a Hayfield by Irish Artist Fred Mc Elwee, We met him at Dyehouse Lane gallery when we bought it and he told us it had been painted near his house in County Wiclow.

Bottom right is called Sunflowers, Loire Valley so this one is, in a sense coming home also.
It was painted by Giles Baily from Dublin, bought by Pierce and Valerie Mc Auliffe of the Neptune in Ballyhack and hang there for many years.
When they sold up in 2003 they very kindly gave it to Síle and I as a momento.

These three, over the sideboard also have histories.
First left is a painting of our restaurant in Mary Street in Waterford.
It was painted by Eorna Walton from Dublin and commissioned by the Sunday Independent where it went with an extremely flattering review of the restaurant.
She afterwards sold the original to us.

The next painting,by Paddy Lennon, Síle bought for me for my fiftieth birthday.
It is one of my favourites.

Another favourite of mine was painted by a friend, and very regular customer in our restaurant, Celia Richards.
This one has a particular resonance for us because the two swimmers are coming out of the sea in Tramore and it shows Brownstown head in the background, close to where we used to live in Kilmacleague.

Over the bookcase is another much loved abstract, this time painted by our own daughter Caitríona.
She painted it on newspaper one Christmas, while she was a student in UCD and gave it to Síle and I as our present because she couldn’t afford to buy us one. It is much treasured and we both hope she will do more of the same.

Over the piano are my Giovanna Garzoni still life prints.

Elizabeth David used these to decorate her cookbook “Italian Food” and I just fell in love with them.

My clever wife and daughters managed to find them in an internet gallery and gave them to me for a birthday.